Chamomile Coffee Muffins (Gluten & Dairy Free)

Okay, wow. These are great. I mean, so great that my dearest and pickiest friends and family love them. From foodies, to purists, to frozen food lovers - everyone loves these muffins. If you've been around me at all this past month, chances are you've either sampled or heard me gush about these guys. They are friendly to almost any kind of diet out there (paleo, plant based, vegan, omnivore) while satisfying like a dessert and mini-meal all at once. And the best part is: every ingredient is healthy and gluten/dairy free with minimal natural sweetener.

I found this recipe on The Vanilla Bean Blog here and have been making them every week since. They don't last long. They're great for any mealtime or food on-the-go. And if you love them, the foundational ingredients can be used to make any kind of muffin you desire. Replace chamomile, coffee, and cocoa nibs with banana and walnuts, or orange zest and cranberries, or vanilla and strawberries. Let me know if you try any other flavor combinations, I would love to hear your ideas.

INGREDIENTS makes 12 large or 18 medium muffins

almond flour (4 cups)

chamomile (4 T) this usually comes to 8 teabags worth

baking soda (1 t) aluminum and gluten free variety

salt (1 t)

cocoa nibs (4 T)

eggs (4)

vanilla (1 t)

honey (1/2 cup)

olive oil (1/2 cup)

brewed coffee (1/2 cup) make sure it's nice a cold

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.
3. In another medium bowl, beat all the wet ingredients together.
4. Add the wet ingredient to the dry and thoroughly combine.
5. Scoop mixture into muffin pan, filling each mold to the top for large muffins. The muffins will rise and billow out over the mold. (I also personally prefer no liner paper and let the muffins bake naked.)
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done (poke with a knife or skewer to check; if it comes out clean, you're good to go).
7. Let cool completely. 

That's it! Enjoy! xo, J

Roasted Pears

Roasted pears! A fun foundational idea with endless improvisational finishing possibilities. Our pears were going bad, so I roasted them. Now I want to roast or broil every type of fruit at least once to see what happens. Once you scoop out the middle of the pear, you can fill it with whatever you dream up - melted butter alone in the center would be tasty, or add some squeezed lemon, sugar, and fresh vanilla bean. This time around, I filled the pears with walnuts and roasted the whole thing together. This warms up the nuts while toasting them just on top, so it maintains their raw buttery quality. Another delicious route would be to toss the nuts in melted butter, maple syrup or sugar and some spices, then roast them separately for a more candied quality. Serve warm with ice cream, alone, or next to some loaf cake.

INGREDIENTS

pears peeled with a peeler with the center toughness scooped out

maple syrup optional

lemon

earth balance or butter

cinnamon

salt

walnuts crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350. 
2. Arrange the pears on a baking sheet. 
3. Brush with maple syrup and squeeze some fresh lemon on top.
4. Plop a bit of butter in the center and sprinkle everything with cinnamon and a touch of salt.
5. Fill up the middle with walnuts and finish with a bit more butter on top.
6. Pop in the oven until golden and caramelized. Watch the nuts to make sure they don't burn.

Enjoy! xo, J

Bitter Orange Almond Cake

I was so excited for Passover this year! It's always an opportunity to dig into my culinary heritage a bit, but with methods and ingredients agreeable to my ethics and belly. Passover is all about FOOD. Judaism, in general, is all about connecting with the metaphysical through physical ritual - but food is the particular "physical" star of this holiday. 


I spent the first seder at my sister and brother-in-law's in Santa Barbara and the second at my parents' in Agoura Hills. My sister's seder was a potluck of sorts, and I jumped at the opportunity to make the dessert. It is one of my life missions to make the perfect dense flourless almond cake. I poked around for recipes and found this bitter orange variation all over the internet. It has Sephardic Passover culinary roots and was further popularized by the great cultural anthropologist and Middle Eastern and Jewish food writer, Claudia Roden. I love it's surprising bitterness, simplicity, and moistness. I think it has sophisticated flavor and would be fabulous paired (or soaked) with some dessert wine to balance the bitter.





INGREDIENTS
oranges (2) washed
almond flour (1 1/2 cups)
eggs (6) separate the yolks from whites
sugar (1 cup) or 3/4 cup agave or maple syrup and use one less egg
gluten free baking powder (1 t)


DIRECTIONS

1. Boil filtered water, reduce to a simmer, and boil oranges for two hours.
2. Remove oranges and cut into quarters to cool.
3. When cooled, blend in food processor until smooth.
4. Add the sweetener, almond flour, baking powder and egg yolks.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Beat the egg whites separately until they peak. 
7. Fold the peaked egg whites into the batter.
8. Pour batter into a greased springform pan, pop into oven and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. 
9. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to burn and remove when the batter doesn't stick.
10. Let cool completely before cutting or covering. Sift almond meel or sugar on top, or serve with melted chocolate, orange syrup, berries, or almond ice cream.

I tried a purely vegan version (with flax meal instead of the eggs and maple syrup instead of the sugar) and it didn't come out well (too mushy and the flavor was too concentrated). Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Enjoy! xo, J

Almond Milk

Justin and I went to a vegan cooking class a couple weeks ago with Chef AJ (my stepmom Lulu hooked us up). I came away with several fantastic recipes and revelations, but this is one of the best - the easiest almond milk possible. She had us try fresh and boxed almond milk back to back and it was astounding. Obviously fresh is usually superior to boxed or jarred anything, but the boxed version (which I was using on a daily basis) was truly disgusting in comparison. I never could wrap my mind around milking almonds for an hour, but this shortcut method is more time efficient and thrifty than its boxed counterpart - it's just water, dates, and almond butter. 




I promise, try it once and at the very least, you will be shocked by how delicious (and EASY) it is. The ingredient quantities and ratios are purely personal, so experiment until you get the flavor and sweetness exactly where you want it. Start with less and add more as you go.


*Tip: In general, dates are a great way to get your sweetener since they are a whole food packed with nutrients. You can use them in an easily homemade paste or syrup as well. They have the highest glycemic index of any sugar and also have a high glycemic load, so just balance it out with the other ingredients of the dish. 


INGREDIENTS
dates (2-4) chopped
almond butter (1-2 T) I use jarred, don't judge me
water (6 cups) use good tasting water


ADDITIONS
cinnamon 
cocoa
vanilla extract
cardamom
nutmeg


DIRECTIONS

1. Blend water, dates, and almond butter in a blender. That's it!
2. Keep refrigerated for 2-5 days. 

Enjoy! xo, J

Bird Bars

I recently visited my good friends Betsy, Fipp, and their newborn son James in Bloomington, Indiana (if anyone is a Parks & Rec fan, you understand why this was doubly exciting). The wonderful Betsy wanted to make sure I was well-fed for my plane ride home, so we stopped by the speciality co-op grocery store to grab some snacks on our way to the airport. Who knew there would be such a plethora of gluten / dairy / processed-free cuisine in Indiana? It's true. I had as many options as any kale-laden California Whole Foods could dream up. One of the things I grabbed was this housemade sesame and sunflower seed bar. I loved it; chewy, crunchy, rich, sweet, satisfying (Betsy, on the other hand, wasn't interested since she had Isabella's cookies at home). 


I had been meaning to make something like this for a while - an "energy" bar for a sweet super filling portable snack / dessert. And the sesame seed based dessert appealed to the Israeli in me. So the next morning back home, I found a similar seed bar recipe, cooked it up...and have been making them every week since. 


The combinations are endless, like granola. Pick your nuts, seeds, dried fruit if you like, binding agent, mix together and set in the fridge. This is just one variation, but we love it. Plus, it has oats for fiber and flax for brain to balance out the seed/nut fat content.

INGREDIENTS
oats (1/3 cup) gluten-free version if desired
unsweetened coconut (1/3 cup) I use shredded coconut, you can also use flakes
peanuts (1/4 cup)
cashews (1/4 cup)
sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)
toasted sesame seeds (2/3 cup)
ground flax (4 T)
honey (1/3 cup) I use Acacia honey for a low glycemic index; vegans can use maple syrup
peanut butter (1/3 cup) salt and sugar free

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely grind oats and coconut in food processor and then pour into mixing bowl.
2. Pulse peanuts and cashews in food processor until evenly ground. Leave slightly chunky. Add to oat/coconut mixture. 
3. Add sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax.
4. Melt and mix together honey and peanut butter in small pan. Remove from heat, let cool, then add to seed/nut mixture and combine with hands. Make sure everything is evenly mixed, it takes a sticky second.
5. Pour into 8x8"-ish glass dish and press down firmly (this is key) until it forms a solid brick mass. Cover and pop in the fridge.

Enjoy! xo, J

Chia Pudding

I need snacky things around the house at all times. I eat constantly throughout the day and crave a variety of options that cover the sweet and savory spectrum; things I can scoop, spread, or just spoon by the mouthful. I've been meaning to try this recipe for a while, and finally got around to it today. If you like gelatinous pudding (similar to many Asian dessert and beverage specialties), then you'll love this. It's also very nutritious (packed with omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fiber) and filling. It's meant as a foundation recipe and you can build the flavors from here. 


INGREDIENTS
chia seeds (2/3 cup)
almond milk (2 cups) or any other dairy-type liquid you want
vanilla extract (1/2 - 1 tsp)
honey or maple syrup optional, but it will not be sweet without


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix everything thoroughly combine. Refrigerate overnight. 
2. To serve, stir well. Top with desired garnishes.

VARIATIONS
cocoa powder 
cashews blend together with the chia seeds before refrigerating overnight
tea chai, earl grey for spiced or earthy flavor; heat up the milk, infuse it with the tea, and re-cool
cinnamon


TOPPINGS
shredded coconut
maple syrup
fresh or dried fruit
sliced almonds
flax seeds
honey
lemon rind

xo, J

Vegan Cookie Dough (thanks, Amanda!)

The great Amanda Karkoutly (brilliant cook and friend) introduced this recipe to Justin and me a few months ago. She takes great pride in her healthy, delicious, diverse cooking and always abundantly feeds her friends and guests. I am super fortunate to have her as a culinary guide and inspiration. Justin near lost his mind over this vegan cookie dough. I finally got around to making it last week, but keep eating most of it before anyone else has a chance (I get gremlin sometimes).


INGREDIENTS
chickpeas (1 can) rinsed well, skin peeled off for a smoother texture (although I have never taken the time to do so)
peanut butter or almond butter (3 Tbsp) peanut butter will lend it a more PB flavor
maple syrup (2 Tbsp) add more if you want it sweeter
oats (1 Tbsp) I get the gluten/wheat free ones 
almond milk (1 Tbsp) use as desired for a thinning agent
dark chocolate chips I get ones with at least 72% cocoa to minimize blood sugar spikes/falls or break up a dark chocolate bar. You can also get a vegan variety. I usually always prefer cookie dough without any chips at all (I know this is sacrilege to most people).
vanilla extract (2 tsp) preferably the kind without added sugar, most vanilla extracts are mostly sugar


DIRECTIONS

1. Blend everything in the food processor until the texture is creamy smooth.
2. Add chocolate chips.
3. Chill in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors settle. (I rarely do this before eating half the batter straight from the processor.)

Great with apples, alone, on toasted brown rice bread with some kosher salt and maple syrup drizzled on top, or combined with the vegan chocolate pudding and berries.

Vegan Chocolate Spread & Pudding

After researching The China Study, seeing/reading Forks Over Knives, and learning about plant-based lifestyles, I'm playing around with eating only fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains these days. I am curious how it will effect my health and change the meals in our home. The first thing I did was make a bunch of snacky dishes to last through the week (shout out to Amanda Barnes who is amazing at doing this all the time, i.e. her garbanzo bean cookie dough dip). So this week I made some hummus, Cranberry Applesauce, and vegan CHOCOLATE PUDDING. This is a solid dessert recipe. The avocado provides a creamy texture and soaks up the cocoa flavor. If the avocados totally freak you out, peanut butter also works deliciously well (see below for ratio). You can also create more of a "spread" or "pudding" consistency depending on your preference. It's great with raspberries or spread on toasted brown rice bread with peanut butter. 


INGREDIENTS
avocados (2)
unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 cup) 
dates (1/2 cup) pitted, soaked in water for an hour, drained (I don't soak them, but they don't blend as easily); if you have a sweet tooth, double the quantity
pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)


PEANUT BUTTER VARIATION

peanut butter (1 cup) organic with no added salt or sugar; this ratio can be used instead of the avocados

FOR A PUDDING TEXTURE
almond milk (1/4-1/2 cup) wait until all ingredients are combined and then incorporate a little at a time until desired consistency is reached

DIRECTIONS

1. Throw the dates in the food processor and pulse into a paste. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. (This can be a little tedious since it's so thick and spits up on the sides. If you end up digging this recipe, make a larger batch so it mixes easier.)
3. Transfer to a bowl or individual serving bowls and chill several hours before serving.

Modern Ambrosia

I needed to find something to do with kiwi other than just eat it. And I always have these ingredients around (greek yogurt, vanilla extract, etc.), so it doesn't get easier.


INGREDIENTS
kiwi peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced crosswise*
mandarin oranges or nectarines separated and cut in half
fresh pineapple optional 
greek yogurt
vanilla extract
sliced almonds or shredded coconut
honey optional


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measurements are intuitive - experiment and use as much as you want of anything.
2. Place all fruit and almonds or coconut into a bowl. Toss to combine.
3. Whisk yogurt, vanilla extract (and honey, optional) together and fold in the fruit.

*For easy kiwi peeling, cut off the top and bottom, make a slit lengthwise, shimmy a spoon between the flesh and peel, and work the skin off with the spoon.

Love, J

Meyer Lemon & Thyme Truffles

Matt & I made our local friends various kinds of truffles this year, and this was one of my favorites!  The lemon and thyme give them a little bit of a different spin, so not all may love, but if they suit your tastes, they are a real treat!


70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (9 oz) chopped
Heavy Whipping Cream (1 1/4 cups)
Fresh Thyme Leaves (1 1/2 tsp)
Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice (1 1/2 tsp)
Meyer Lemon Peel (1 tsp) finely chopped
Cocoa Nibs


Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Add Thyme leaves, remove from heat, and let steep for 20 minutes.


Meanwhile, stir 7 ounces chocolate in metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water until smooth. Remove from heat. Add 2 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth.


Stir lemon juice and lemon peel into cream. Stir cream into chocolate. Chill truffle base until firm enough to roll, about 3 hours.

Line rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Roll 2 teaspoons truffle base between fingertips into ball. Drop each truffle into a bowl of cocoa nibs, and turn to coat. Transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining truffle base. 

Enjoy!!!!! - Sarah

Chocolate Mint Cookies

This one's for Jessica! She stopped by today before we went baby furniture shopping and was a big fan. These are truffle-like, pretty, and great for lovers of the peppermint patties. Makes 18 cookies.

butter just for greasing the baking sheets
semisweet chocolate chips (3 cups)
packed golden brown sugar (1/2 cup)
granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
large eggs (2)
dark corn syrup (2 tablespoons)
peppermint extract (1/2 teaspoon)
vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
all-purpose flour (1/2 cup)
baking powder (1/2 teaspoon)


Preheat oven to 350. Butter three large (18x13") baking sheets.


Melt half the chocolate chips in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.


Beat both sugars, eggs, corn syrup, peppermint and vanilla extract in medium bowl until thickened (3 minutes). Add tepid melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Add flour and baking powder, beat until just combined. Mix in the rest of chocolate chips. Chill the dough for an hour until it develops fudge-like texture.


Sculpting dough into spoon-sized balls, roll around in powdered sugar, and place 6 per sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Reverse cookie sheets  for heat evenness and continue baking until cracked on top and softly set (8 minutes). Cool cookies on sheets (5 minutes). Using metal spatula, transfer cookies onto racks and cool completely. 


Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.